Specialized Service for international Recruitment at the University of Iceland

The HR Division recently launched a specialized service for new international employees. International Staff Services offers advice on international recruitment and assists newly recruited employees with practical matters upon moving to Iceland and starting a new career at the University of Iceland. The service is offered to all international staff, academic employees, researchers, and Phd students.

The service is based on the concept „one stop shop“ where the newly recruited employee is offered support pre-arrival, on-arrival and during employment at the University of Iceland. The service covers immigration issues, health insurance, wages, taxes, and pension payments and support for spouses when seeking jobs. Everything that directly and indirectly relates to international recruitment. A meeting with the new employee is set upon arrival and in continuation, the employment contract and the UI intranet is secured to be ready as soon as possible. The aim is always to ease the first days of employment regardless of when and who is involved. More detailed and useful information on the process of moving to Iceland and working at the University of Iceland can be found on the International Staff Services website.

Sandra Berg Cepero, who manages the International Staff Services, is convinced this type of service is crucial as international recruitment has increased substantially for the past years. In her opinion it’s a matter of quality standard for an international researched based university like the University of Iceland. Similar service is provided at universities abroad, particularly in Europe. She emphasizes that the International Staff Services is a member of Euraxess, one of 200 institutions within 40 countries, where the aim is to create a platform to mobilize researchers, to find jobs across boarders and to assist them to move between countries. Sandra says it is imperative to welcome our new colleagues and their families with a special support but it is also crucial to get them as fast as possible to work as many things are at stake within the research community.

To find out more about the service please contact Sandra Berg Cepero sandra@hi.is who manages the service or simply look at the International Staff Services website for more information.